Beauprez Receives GOP Boost

The $500,000 windfall will be spent helping his campaign, though not given directly to him:

The Republican Governors Association has pumped $500,000 into Colorado's gubernatorial race, considered by political analysts to be one of the most competitive in the country.

The governors group donated the money to Trailhead Group LLC, an independent political committee that said it will use the money to help GOP candidate Bob Beauprez.

"We are going to be aggressive to support Bob Beauprez and the RGA is part of our team and excited about investing," said Alan Philp, executive director of Trailhead.

Beauprez, a congressman, faces Democrat Bill Ritter, a former Denver district attorney. Under campaign finance laws, Trailhead cannot contribute any of the RGA money directly to Beauprez. It can, however, spend it on radio and TV ads, campaign mailings and get-out-the-vote efforts supporting him.